The effect of acute popliteal venous interruption

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Trauma Management
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Popliteal vascular trauma presents significant morbidity.
• Management of popliteal venous injuries remains controversial.
• Concerns exist regarding thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism after venous repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate outcomes of popliteal venous injury management.
• To compare ligation versus repair of injured popliteal veins.
• To assess complication rates including thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, and edema.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 110 cases with isolated popliteal venous trauma.
• Comparison of outcomes between venous ligation and venous repair groups.
• Analysis of complication rates: thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, and extremity edema.

Main Results:

• No significant increase in thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism observed in either group.
• The sole pulmonary embolism occurred in a patient whose vein was ligated.
• Ligation resulted in a significantly higher incidence of extremity edema (50.9%) compared to repair (13.2%).

Conclusions:

• Venous repair is a viable and safe option for popliteal venous injuries.
• Repair is associated with a lower incidence of post-traumatic extremity edema compared to ligation.
• Aggressive venous repair should be considered in managing popliteal venous trauma.